Mongolia’s Ambassador to the US Bulgaa Altangerel and the CEO of the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, Allison Vulgamore, signed an MOU in the US Capitol building in Washington DC in March to bring the world-famous Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra to Ulaanbaatar, notionally during June 5-9, 2017. The orchestra will be “in residence” to engage in people-to-people cultural diplomacy, including two full orchestra concerts, as well as a series of special events throughout Ulaanbaatar designed in partnership with Mongolian musicians, local schools and cultural institutions. The Philadelphia Orchestra will be the first Western orchestra to perform in Mongolia. Similarly, it was the first American orchestra to perform in China after President Richard Nixon’s visit in 1972. Attendees at the signing ceremony included Pennsylvania US Senator Robert Casey Jr., US Rep. Joe Pitts, the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Mongolia Friendship Caucus who represents a suburb of Philadelphia, and former DCM of the US Embassy in UB Ron Deutch, who represented NAMBC Chairman and former US Ambassador Pam Slutz, his wife.